Lock up the parents?

Taylor Winkel

Taylor Winkel Jul 6, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Lock up the parents?</h1>
                <h2><p>In the wake of the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting, Kim Shepard, a reporter with MyNorthwest.com is asking why there aren’t laws in Washington requiring gun owners to keep their guns locked and beyond the reach of children. After a string of three accidental shootings by youngsters in 2012</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/taylorjwinkel-gmail-com/">Taylor Winkel</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>In the wake of the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting, Kim Shepard, a reporter with MyNorthwest.com is <a href="http://mynorthwest.com/108/2633694/Why-are-there-no-laws-about-guns-and-kids?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">asking why</a> there aren’t laws in Washington requiring gun owners to keep their guns locked and beyond the reach of children. After a string of three accidental shootings by youngsters in 2012 — two victims died — the Legislature did look into gun control legislation that would hold parents responsible for their children’s actions. But pushback from the NRA halted the bill, which died before it was ever brought to the floor for a vote. Shepard notes that even Texas, a state with more guns than any other, has a law regarding children and guns — though it’s never been used to press charges against a parent. — T.W.</p>
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In the wake of the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting, Kim Shepard, a reporter with MyNorthwest.com is asking why there aren’t laws in Washington requiring gun owners to keep their guns locked and beyond the reach of children. After a string of three accidental shootings by youngsters in 2012 — two victims died — the Legislature did look into gun control legislation that would hold parents responsible for their children’s actions. But pushback from the NRA halted the bill, which died before it was ever brought to the floor for a vote. Shepard notes that even Texas, a state with more guns than any other, has a law regarding children and guns — though it’s never been used to press charges against a parent. — T.W.

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By Taylor Winkel

Taylor Winkel is a Journalism and Political Science student at the University of Washington. Follow her on Twitter: @twinkelnews. She can be emailed at Taylor.Winkel@crosscut.com.